Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun, the first lady of Ogun State, turned fifty during the week. In this interview with YETUNDE OLADEINDE, she goes down memory lane to recount her many blessings, early life and marriage to Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State.
WHAT is life at 50 like? To be honest with you, the only point I want to stress is the opportunity to actually attain this milestone officially.
I think I have been fifty in my mind for so many years, using it as an excuse for my children. I have done the fifty thing so many times over but the reality is that truly, officially, I am turning fifty and I am very grateful to God. It is not everybody that actually attains this age.
Has anything changed about you?
I pray nothing. Outside the age, when you attain that age, you become more reflective, you realise that it is actually a privilege to be able to attain the golden age. Your perspective to life changes and I guess that things that might have not been so important to you are becoming important. Like the issue of health, you realise that I haven’t started thinking that physical health is failing. I don’t think I am there yet, to be honest. It is the stage where people start to worry about physical strength failing or stuffs like that. You just sort of emotionally become reflective, realising that this is the second half by God’s grace, and in that way, it’s the only aspect that I can think of. Not that I have really processed it or I haven’t attained it. To be honest, I am just thankful to God. Reflecting on where I am, the grace that HE has given me, the opportunities, the privilege of good health and the other things. As I realise that, looking at some peers liken their situation and where I am now, I realise that God has really been kind to me. My husband, lovely children, I mean, I can’t stop counting my blessings.
What don’t you like about being a governor’s wife?
I wouldn’t say I don’t like not being able to be myself. But I am myself. I would have said, I don’t like the fact that I always have a light shadow around me, in terms of having people around me. Maybe being in second term, the people around me have come to understand that I am my own person and that they cannot always follow me around, even if it is their duty.
I think that now, I like being the wife of the governor, especially because to the glory of God, and I say this with all sense of responsibility, my husband has done a good job as a governor. I am proud to raise my head up high as his wife, with the ongoing in Nigeria and without putting anyone down. Sometimes when you are in this privileged position, maybe due to circumstances or whatever, you don’t deliver but the people expect so much from you. I make bold to say that to the best of my husband’s ability, he has performed and it makes me happy to say that I am the wife.
What are some of the things that you share in common with your husband?
After twenty five years, I think the question should be what are the things that we don’t share in common? However, I stand at opposite seems to attract. So, while he is a hands-on people person, he wouldn’t mind jumping into a crowd, just taking people on by way of speaking to them. I sort of do it by delegating through lots of my uplift programme, the Spouses of Ogun State Government’s Officials Association. I have come to realise that members of the association might want to bring things to my attention. I might find it a bit reluctant but I have found that they might find it a bit easier to speak to the second in command.
So, even though I reach out to people and I impact positively upon them. Then, I am in my opinion approachable; I tend to work with people by allowing them to find whatever avenue is comfortable to reach me and for me to reach them back. Instead of me just jumping up, I say my door is open and say you can send me a message, everybody who knows me, knows that I am not very good with phone calls. Recently, we had a meeting and decided on a suggestion box, so that if you want to reach me or send a message to me, you don’t necessarily have to write your name. And I would hold the key of the suggestion box; feel free to write anything because I need to know what is going on in your mind. I understand that they may not be able to tell me to my face but I, however, want to know the true position of what is going on in their minds. That is another way that I kind of reach out to people. I am an open door that you can reach, such that you can be honest to me, without holding back.
Tell us about your growing up years
I guess I would flashback to the beginning of my marriage years. I was born 2nd May, 1966 to a humble family of Bishop Michael Ayoade Odesanya and Elder Olusola Odesanya. I had the first half of my primary school education in the United Kingdom and the second half at Ayoade Nursery and Primary School, Iyaganku, Ibadan. Then I went off to Yejide Girls Grammar school and later I attended the Oyo State School of Arts and Sciences. I also went to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where I studied English/Education and I fell in love. He then owned an accounting firm and I guess the rest is history. We have five wonderful children, who we are very proud of. We’ve come a long way, all glory to God.
Your husband has openly said that he is a difficult person to work with. With due respect, he is a local boy, which is the opposite of what we see in you. You look feminine, sophisticated and western compared to your husband?
That is a funny and complex question. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. My husband is the most practical, responsible and hands-on husband that anyone can ask for and I think that what transcends is the way he goes about his duty, in loving the people of Ogun State. I don’t want a man that is so sophisticated, that he is tuned out. My husband is in tune with reality. I don’t see him as a local person; I see him as a compassionate hands-on and responsible husband. I don’t see myself as packaging him, I see him as packaging me. As we said a while ago, they do say that opposites attract. Maybe, you can blame it on that, if you see any difference in the disposition.
However, after 25 years, I don’t even see where the lines are anymore. I believe that we are one and the same, we complement each other. Maybe, we don’t even see eye to eye. However, we always reach a compromise. I would also say that I don’t think we have ever slept on an argument, he won’t let you, anyway. Even if you are annoyed, even if he has upset you, he would say that it just happened, get on with life. So, I take that as a compliment and I would give all the glory to God.
Are there any sad moments?
I have been lucky and I know I have been lucky. I know it is the grace of God. I don’t think I can recall any moment like that but I know that I have recalled several times when I look back and say that’s the grace of God. Take for instance, my genotype is AS and my husband is AA. We got married in a time that people don’t really ask or find out their status. So what if my husband was SS? That is a practical example of how God has been kind to us. I walk in God’s perfect role and when I look back, I see that I could have made a mistake but God has spared me. So, I do not recollect any moment of sorrow.
Again, I give glory to God and then sometimes, I do get to be worried. Everything is so smooth and I have faith that this is God’s plan and wish for me. I pray that it continues like that.
Let’s talk about some memorable moments together
Every day is different and my husband is just so real. He would tell you, ‘I don’t believe in flowers, I don’t believe in saying I love you but action speaks louder than words.’
When was the first time you saw him wearing the cap. Was it in the bedroom?
It doesn’t have to be the bedroom. The cap, I recall, predates 2003 and I think it came to stay around 2001. It was just a kind of identity which people liked. We joked about it as M.K naira and that is what baba’s cap was known for.
Asides that, it just became something that he was known for and comfortable with. And if I was to say something about it, I would say, ‘ain’t you fed up with wearing the same cap?’ Even in his buba and trouser, it is the same style and I guess his tailor’s job is very simple. I would always ask ‘ain’t you fed up with wearing the same style?’ That just shows the kind of person he is. He is consistent.
